[BITList] Cemeteries with graves of Indian soldiers of World War I

[John Feltham]

Cemeteries with graves of Indian soldiers of World
War I receive £5 million grant

Dec 19, 2013

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/Cemeteries-with-graves-of-Indian-soldiers-of-World-War-I-receive-5-million-grant/articleshow/27653231.cms 

LONDON: Cemeteries where brave Indian soldiers who died fighting
for Britain in World War I have been buried, have now received a £5
million grant that will help conserve, repair and protect these burial
sites.

British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the funding on Thursday
while visiting Flanders as part of UK's massive plans to mark the centenary
of the First World War in 2014.

Soldiers from India who gave their lives for Britain will be honoured and
remembered during UK's four-year-long roster to commemorate the centenary
of the great battle.

Around 1.2 million soldiers from undivided India fought for the British
Empire during the war, of which 74,000 died.

Cameron said "the new funding will help conserve, repair and protect
memorials and burial sites across the UK and overseas where British and
Commonwealth servicemen and women are buried".

The money - £5 million to be spread over the 4 years of the First World War
centenary - will also fund new educational materials including downloadable
guides, to help explain the importance of sites and honour the sacrifice of
those buried or commemorated there.

Cameron is visiting a number of sites in Belgium with the Irish Taoiseach,
including the Island of Ireland Peace Park, the Menin Gate Memorial to the
Missing and the Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery
and Memorial to the missing.

Cameron said that, "Next year's centenary will be a time for the whole
nation to reflect on the events that saw so many young people of that
generation make the ultimate sacrifice. Nearly all of us in Britain have
some family connection with that conflict, and it is the many millions of
small, personal stories that resonate as loudly for us as the big,
world-changing battles and campaigns."

"As part of that, it is absolutely right that we help communities up and
down the country to ensure that their local war memorials are a fitting
tribute to the fallen and increase people's understanding of what happened.
We simply should not tolerate damaged war graves in our country. Our
memorials and cemeteries must be places of respect and education. This
funding will help make it happen."

Culture secretary Maria Miller said the new funding will repair First World
War memorials all over the country. "It is an appropriate way to honour
those that made the ultimate sacrifice. The tens of thousands of war
memorials in our towns and villages are an evocative symbol of that."

The government is using fines paid by banks who attempted to manipulate the
LIBOR to provide this funding. The department for culture, media and sport
(DCMS) is talking to key partners - including the Commonwealth War Graves
Commission, War Memorials Trust, English Heritage, the Wolfson Foundation
and others - about how to ensure communities can access the new money, which
will be available from next year as grants to local communities who apply
and whose application qualifies. English Heritage said that, "As well as
protecting other sites relating to 1914 to 1918, mounting exhibitions, and
sharing our research, we will be working with volunteers from War Memorials
Trust and listing 500 war memorials each year. These memorials represent the
greatest wave of commemoration ever seen in this country: listing will
ensure that they receive proper attention.”




ooroo


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